


Good Job, Tooru.

by abrandnewheart



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Iwa's a dork who doesn't understand feelings, M/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-20
Updated: 2015-07-20
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:26:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4386524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abrandnewheart/pseuds/abrandnewheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iwaizumi always compliments everyone. Everyone except for Oikawa, that is. One day, enough is enough, and Oikawa demands an explanation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good Job, Tooru.

"Good serve, Kunimi."

"Nice kill, Kindaichi."

"Watari, nice receive!"

 

It's always everybody else. People like to say that his Iwa-chan is mean and grouchy and -- and maybe he is, sometimes, but he only really gets like that with Oikawa, and Oikawa knows this. He’d never admit it, but most of the time when Iwa’s being grumpy, he deserves to be grumpy. With everyone else, he's firm but kind, like any decent vice-captain should be. He knows what to say to people, and he's amazing at making sure people feel good with how they’ve played and he’s always giving them praise and -- it’s not fair.

 

Why is it always Kindaichi getting clapped on the shoulder and told he's done well? Mattsun and Makki are always getting attention too, and it's weird, it's those weird butt-slaps that some people do and the three of them don't seem to have any problem with it. Butt-slaps all day by and for all of them. Oikawa can't understand it. His butt is _clearly_ superior to Makki's and Mattsun's in every way, but no. Iwa doesn't pay him even the tiniest sliver of attention. Not like that. Everyone else gets high-fives and pats on the back, even that idiot of a second year who doesn't seem to know what teamwork is. Iwaizumi even gives _him_ compliments on good spikes. If he’s worthy of praise, then surely Oikawa is too. Surely.

 

Iwa has even told their opposition that they've made good plays on occasion. Iwa calls it being a good sport, but Oikawa isn't convinced they should be dishing out those kinds of things to other teams so easily. It's just not good, especially if it's a good team who might actually get pumped up from hearing it during game time. Not good.

 

Maybe if he works harder he'll get compliments. That's how it usually worked with Iwaizumi's, anyway. Iwa is, has always been careful with them around Oikawa. He only ever comments when there is actual progress made. He doesn't compliment a good score on a math test unless it's better than the last one; doesn't remark on drawings in art unless he thinks there's something genuinely noteworthy about that one compared to the last.

 

So. He just has to get better. Simple. He'll practice until he's hitting flawless serves every time, won't let himself miss receives, and he'll set better, and better, make them easy to hit, easy to get past blockers, make them the best he can because damn it, he wants to do that anyway, and getting Iwaizumi's praise is mostly secondary. Constantly beating opponents would be an achievement in itself. Crushing Shiratorizawa the next time they face off would be sweeter than any compliment ever could be, though no doubt doing so would have Iwaizumi singing his praises anyway.

 

Yes. That would work.

 

...

 

It didn't work. It didn't matter what Oikawa tried, the compliments were simply not forthcoming. About the only one he had was that time they got caught in the rain and he'd gotten upset about his hair getting ruined. Iwa-chan had told him that he was cute even with his hair all flat and wet and messy. That was the only one, and Oikawa had the sneaking suspicion that Iwaizumi had only said it to shut him up and stop him from complaining.

 

What was he going to do?

 

~~~~~~

 

"Good practice, everyone." It really had been, when Iwaizumi thought about it. Everything had just come together flawlessly. Sets from Oikawa that were _just_ right. Most of the team’s receives were solid. Lovely serves. Everything had just slotted nicely into place. Perfect.

 

He catches Yahaba once he’s finished collecting the stray balls, just before he goes for the changing room. "Good job today," He says. "Your serves are really coming along well. They're getting harder to receive. Well done."

Yahaba only smiles as an acknowledgement.

 

He turns to Oikawa, then, who is looking suspiciously like he's going to to do another round of service practice. He's got the basket full of balls right beside him-- but. But, he looks almost upset.

"Hey, Shittykawa, don't go hurting yourself because you want to practice more, yeah?"

No answer. Oikawa doesn't even look up, instead just bouncing one of the balls a couple of times.

"Oi! I said don't overwork yourself. You know you've got that knee thing. Don't try too hard tonight, yeah?"

 

Still no answer, and Iwaizumi gives an exasperated sigh and turns to leave.

"Iwa-chan." He's quiet, and unusually so.

"What?"

 

Oikawa is quiet again for some time, looks like he's struggling with how to phrase whatever he wants to say. "Spit it out already or I'm going to go have a shower."

"No, wait."

"Then hurry up."

Another pause, and Iwaizumi raises an eyebrow.

"It's.... Iwa-chan, why do you always tell everybody else they're doing well?"

"Because it's a good thing to do? You're supposed to encourage your team? You should be doing it more."

"No- I mean. You always tell everyone else they're doing well. You never say anything to me and - am I just not good enough? Is that what it is? You want me to be doing better than I am?"

 

Shit. He's in trouble now. Oikawa _never_ talks seriously about stuff unless he's really, genuinely upset.

"It's-- you already know you're good, why do you need me to tell you that?"

"It would just be nice sometimes. You always give Yahaba compliments and he's younger than we are and it’s like you think he's better than me even though I know I serve better than he does and you never say anything to me and-" Oikawa cuts himself off, and Iwaizumi can see the red rising in his cheeks. He's obviously more bothered by this all than he wants to let on.

"Hey. You're the captain, you're my best friend. If you were doing worse than one of the younger ones then I would've just said so."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

 

The smile Oikawa gives him would be enough to stop a lesser man’s heart, Iwaizumi is sure. He’s being shy but thoroughly pleased at the same time, or that’s how it looks, and he’s looking at the ground like he doesn’t want to meet Iwaizumi’s gaze any time soon.

“Go take your shower. I’ll finish up here soon, Iwa-chan.”

 

Iwaizumi lingers for a minute or two, leaning up against the wall and watching Oikawa practice. One ball after another after another hit the floor, most barely inside the court lines -- a very good thing indeed. Nothing better than getting a serve inside but making an opponent think it’s out. Easy points.

 

“Good job, Tooru.”

 

The smile he gets in return is dazzling, wide and toothy and _genuine_ , unlike so many of the other smiles Oikawa puts on during the day. He bites his bottom lip, like he’s embarrassed from smiling like that and looks away, then back at Iwaizumi and away again. He is embarrassed, and it’s too adorable for Iwaizumi to put into words.

 

Iwaizumi damn near runs out of the room after that, heat rising in his cheeks and damn, he could swear he can feel it right the way down his neck and into his chest and through his scalp and his ears too, for good measure.

 

 _That_ is why he doesn’t do this. _That_ is why complimenting Oikawa even half as much as everyone else is _not a good thing. That_ is the reason for everything. He can’t let this keep happening.

 

How is he supposed to explain that the reason he doesn’t give out compliments is because the reaction he gets makes him question everything he knows about himself? How is he supposed to explain that smiles like that are like the sun and he wants to stay in the light forever when he sees it? How is he supposed to explain that seeing a smile like that makes his chest go tight and makes him feel like he can’t quite take a deep enough breath?

  
How is he supposed to explain _any_ of that?

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up at abrandnewheart.tumblr.com as usual. 
> 
> Inspired by mygrandking.tumblr.com/post/124479062103.


End file.
